Bristol Flood Risk
In Bristol, 3,473 of 241,174 properties (1.4%) are in areas at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers and the sea — at least a 1 in 100 chance in any year — per Environment Agency data updated 6 July 2026; that ranks 53rd of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in Bristol by flood-risk band
| Risk band | Chance of flooding each year | All properties | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 3.3% (1 in 30) or greater chance in any year | 1,335 | 1,029 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 2,138 | 1,537 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 12,813 | 9,766 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 4,222 | 2,902 |
2,566 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 796 are non-residential. 374 postcodes in Bristol have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across Bristol
Counts are for the part of each district inside Bristol.
| District | Properties | High + medium | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BS1 | 17,146 | 819 | 87 | 4.8% |
| BS4 | 24,882 | 545 | 210 | 2.2% |
| BS5 | 28,233 | 458 | 117 | 1.6% |
| BS2 | 13,880 | 451 | 242 | 3.2% |
| BS3 | 21,710 | 383 | 142 | 1.8% |
| BS10 | 13,431 | 251 | 172 | 1.9% |
| BS13 | 14,902 | 212 | 155 | 1.4% |
| BS6 | 16,220 | 106 | 77 | 0.7% |
| BS9 | 14,506 | 58 | 44 | 0.4% |
| BS11 | 10,296 | 52 | 29 | 0.5% |
| BS16 | 15,082 | 51 | 17 | 0.3% |
| BS8 | 14,924 | 37 | 2 | 0.2% |
| BS15 | 4,471 | 25 | 23 | 0.6% |
| BS7 | 17,612 | 15 | 13 | 0.1% |
| BS14 | 13,879 | 10 | 5 | 0.1% |
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in Bristol
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 55 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Bristol since 1703; the most recent started on 1 Feb 2014.
1700s 1 1720s 2 1790s 1 1800s 2 1870s 1 1880s 4 1890s 4 1920s 1 1930s 3 1950s 2 1960s 3 1970s 7 1980s 7 1990s 5 2000s 5 2010s 7
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Feb 2014 | St Philip's Marsh, Bristol to | Main river | Mechanical failure | BS4 |
| 5 Jan 2014 | Hanham to | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS4 |
| 3 Jan 2014 – 2 Mar 2014 | St Philip's Marsh, Bristol to | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS4 |
| 23 Nov 2012 | Pensford | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS14 |
| 22 Nov 2012 | Stanton Drew 2 outlines | Drainage, main river | Local drainage/surface water | BS14 |
| 21 Nov 2012 – 25 Nov 2012 | Pensford 4 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS11 BS13 BS14 |
| 24 Sep 2012 – 25 Sep 2012 | Chew Chew Magna 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS13 |
| 15 Jan 2008 – 16 Jan 2008 | Winford Bk Battle Lane 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS13 |
| 1 Jan 2001 | Severn Beach | Sea | Not recorded | BS10 |
| 30 Oct 2000 | Pensford | Ordinary watercourse | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS14 |
| 29 Oct 2000 – 12 Nov 2000 | Compton 20 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS10 |
| 1 Feb 2000 | Severn Beach | Sea | Not recorded | BS10 |
| 24 Dec 1999 | Bristol, Cattle Market rd 2 outlines | Main river | Overtopping of defences | BS1 BS8 |
| 19 Jan 1999 – 20 Jan 1999 | Winford Brook Chew Magna 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS13 |
| 1 Feb 1998 | Worcester | Sea | Not recorded | BS10 |
| 1 Feb 1995 – 21 Feb 1995 | Severn Beach | Sea | Other | BS10 |
| 26 Feb 1990 – 2 Mar 1990 | Severn Beach 6 outlines | Sea, main river | Overtopping of defences | BS10 BS11 |
| 10 Feb 1989 – 11 Feb 1989 | Avon Pill | Main river | Overtopping of defences | BS11 |
| 23 Dec 1985 – 26 Dec 1985 | Avon Hanham Riverside Bristol | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS4 |
| 4 Jun 1982 – 8 Jun 1982 | Bristol, StAugustineP 8 outlines | Drainage, sewer | Local drainage/surface water | BS1 BS2 BS6 BS7 |
| 3 Jun 1982 | Tidal Shirehampton Station Road | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS11 |
| 30 Dec 1981 | Winford brook Chew Magna | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS13 |
| 13 Dec 1981 | Avon Shirehampton | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS11 |
| 29 Jul 1980 | Bristol, Passage St 4 outlines | Sewer | Other | BS1 BS2 BS5 |
| 30 May 1979 – 31 May 1979 | Winford Brook ChewMagna | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS13 |
| 1 Jan 1976 | Severn Beach | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS10 |
| 15 Nov 1974 | Whitchurch Sleep Lane | Drainage | Local drainage/surface water | BS14 |
| 27 Sep 1974 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS3 |
| 15 Jun 1974 | Bristol, deanery rd 3 outlines | Sewer, main river | Other | BS1 BS5 |
| 9 Feb 1974 – 11 Feb 1974 | Avon Hanham 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS4 BS5 |
| 10 Jun 1971 – 11 Jun 1971 | Bristol AshtonVale Colliters Brook | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS3 |
| 10 Jul 1968 – 11 Jul 1968 | Bristol Eastville Stapleton Road 5 outlines | Main river, drainage | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS13 BS14 BS3 BS5 |
| 18 Dec 1965 – 19 Dec 1965 | CollitersBrook Ashton Vale Bristol | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS3 |
| 4 Dec 1960 – 5 Dec 1960 | Avon Totterdown Br Bristol 14 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS1 BS11 BS3 BS4 BS5 BS8 BS9 |
| 1 Jan 1958 | CollitersBrook AshtonVale Bristol | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS3 |
| 11 Jun 1954 | CollitersBrook AshtonVale Bristol | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | BS3 |
| 15 Jul 1937 | Bristol, Silver St 6 outlines | Drainage, main river | Local drainage/surface water | BS1 BS3 BS4 BS5 BS6 |
| 30 Jun 1936 | Bristol, Broadmead 6 outlines | Drainage, main river | Local drainage/surface water | BS1 BS5 BS6 |
| 12 Mar 1935 | Bristol 2 outlines | Other, drainage | Mechanical failure | BS1 BS3 |
| 26 May 1926 | Bristol | Main river | Not recorded | BS6 |
Showing the 40 most recent of 55 dates.
What this page shows, and what it misses
The Environment Agency's count of properties in each postcode that sit in areas of land at very low, low, medium or high risk of flooding from rivers and the sea, allowing for flood defences and their condition, added up here by postcode district and local authority. Every property in England is counted once, so the share is of all properties in the area.
It misses: surface water (heavy rain), groundwater, sewer and reservoir flooding; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; and anything about a single building. A band describes the land a property stands on, not its floor level or flood protection, so it is not a forecast for any one home. Past floods come from the EA's Recorded Flood Outlines and are placed in the postcode district whose centre is nearest (within 12 km), so a flood near a boundary can be listed under a neighbour. Older records are patchy, and a flood with no outline is not listed.
"Bristol" means the local authority area (ONS code E06000023), not only the town centre.
If you live in Bristol
- Check your own address on gov.uk; it also covers surface water.
- Sign up for free flood warnings: gov.uk/get-flood-warnings. Floodline: 0345 988 1188.
- What is in force now: flood warnings UK · river levels.
- Never walk or drive through flood water: why shallow water kills.
FAQQuestions people ask
Is Bristol at risk of flooding?
In Bristol, 3,473 of 241,174 properties (1.4%) are in areas at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers and the sea — at least a 1 in 100 chance in any year — per Environment Agency data updated 6 July 2026; that ranks 53rd of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of Bristol have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district BS1 has the most: 819 properties at high or medium risk (4.8% of its properties in Bristol). The table on this page lists every district.
When did Bristol last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 55 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Bristol since 1703; the most recent started on 1 Feb 2014.
Does this include surface water flooding?
No. These counts cover flooding from rivers and the sea only. Surface water (heavy rain) flooding affects more properties in England; check it for one address on gov.uk's long-term flood risk service.
Flood risk counts: Environment Agency, Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea – Postcodes in Areas at Risk and Recorded Flood Outlines, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. All rights reserved. Some features of this information are based on digital spatial data from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, © NERC (CEH). © Crown Copyright and Database Rights 2025 OS AC0000807064. This product is produced in part from PAF® and Multiple Residence Data, the copyright in which is owned by Royal Mail Group Limited and/or Royal Mail Group plc. All rights reserved. Licence number AC0000807064.
Local authority of each postcode: Office for National Statistics postcode lookup (May 2026), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026. District centres and place names: postcodes.io (ONS/OS open data). Totals, ranks and grouping are Global Incident Tracker's own calculations; the Environment Agency does not endorse them.